Apparatus for cutting,grinding and polishing ornamental stone



June 24, 1969 TORU NA|TO ET AL 3,451,386

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING. GRINDING AND POLISHING ORNAMENTAL STONE Filed Sept. 6, 1966 Sheet of a -a: a: ifiliiiiiiiii TORU NAITO ET AL 3,451,386

June 24, 1969 APPARATUS FOR CUTTING, GRINDING AND POLISHING ORNAMENTAL STONE 0 a c m 1 tflfiwlw e mnmgi mm l l 1.13mi 6 6 9 1 & L p e s d e 1 1 F June 24, 1969 TORU NAITO ET AL 3,451,386

GRINDING AND POLISHING ORNAMENTAL STONE APPARATUS FOR CUTT [NG,

3 of a Sheet Filed Sept. 6, 1966 United States Patent US. Cl. 125--13 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for cutting, grinding and polishing ornamental stones which comprises a base frame including a support member having legs arranged in L-shape, said legs of the support member defining first and second surfaces for supporting the base frame in respective perpendicular positions, a drive mechanism fixed on the base frame and adapted to receive and drive a tool in mutually perpendicular positions depending upon the position in which the base frame is supported, casing means which define an enclosure surrounding the tool on the drive mechanism, said casing means being provided with an opening for introducing a workpiece into the enclosure to be operated on by the tool and water supply means, including a water tank for supplying cooling water to the enclosure.

The present invention relates to a machine for operating on an ornamental stone such as a jewel whereby a gem of desired size. can be cut from a raw stone and then shaped by grindingv to a desired form after which the surface thereof can be polished.

For obtaining an ornamental stone such as a jewel or the like, it is usual that a gem stone is first cut from a raw stone and then the gem stone is cut to remove unnecessary portions and ground to be formed to a desired shape. Then the surface of the gem stone is polished, for example, by a polishing grindstone. In the operation in which the gem is cut from the original stone and the cut gem is cut to remove unnecessary portions and formed to a desired shape, it is convenient to utilize a cutting wheel or a grinding wheel attached to a horizontal shaft so as to be vertically rotating. The polishing operation requires complicated operations on a curved surface or a cut glass surface or the like, and accordingly it is advantageous to use the fiat end surface of a polishing wheel. Therefore, for this purpose, the wheel is desired to be attached to the top end of a vertical shaft to be horizontally rotating.

An object of the invention is to provide a device which will enable an operator to drive a tool operating on the stone in a vertical or horizontal mode.

In accordance with the present invention, a single driving shaft may be positioned in either a vertical or horizontal disposition so that a series of operations such as the cutting of the gem from the original raw stone, the shaping of the cut gem and the polishing of the gem may be effected advantageously in a single machine. In particular, the present invention contemplates apparatus comprising a base frame having two support positions at right angles with one another, a driving shaft supported on the base frame and exteding at right angles to one of the support positions and driven by a prime mover supported from the base frame whereby a working tool such as a cutting wheel, a grinding wheel, a polishing wheel or the like can be detachably connected to the driving shaft and positioned in vertical or horizontal disposition depending upon the position of the base frame.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a machine according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a side view thereof in another condition of use;

FIGURE 5 is a side view thereof under a further condition of use;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a base frame of the machine;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a covering case of the machine;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a detachable covering plate for the covering case of FIG. 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a supporting base of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 denotes a base frame having supporting portions A and B extending perpendicular to one another. As shown clearly in FIG. 6, the base frame is constituted by metal pipe members and the supporting poltions A and B are formed by bending a substantially rectangular frame at its center to form an L- shape so that the supporting portions A and B are at right angles to one another. The portion B is provided in the middle portion, at one side thereof, with an integral supporting frame 1a reinforced with reinforcing rods 1b. A base plate 2 is supported on portion A for mounting thereon an electric motor, while portion B supports a wall plate 3 having a shaft opening 4. The metal pipe members forming the portions A and B have at their re spective outer surfaces seat pieces 10 of rubber or the like attached thereto. An electric motor 6 is moutned on the base plate 2, and a bearing 7 is attached to the wall plate 3 at the shaft opening 4 so that a driving shaft 8 is rotatably supported thereby. A pulley 9 is mounted on the shaft of the electric motor 6 and a pulley 10 is mounted on the end of the driving shaft 8. A belt 11 couples the pulleys so that the driving shaft 8 may be driven by the motor and a desired operation may be effected by a tool attached to the end of the driving shaft.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 7, a box-like covering case 12 defines an enclosure in which a working operation can be effected. The case 12 has a front opening 12a and a side opening 12b, and a top plate 12c, a bottom plate 12d, a side plate 122 and a back plate 12]". The side opening 12b can be partially closed by attachment of a detachable covering plate 12g, as shown in FIG. 8, to the case by upper and lower edge grooves 12h in plate 12g. The case 12 with the covering plate 12g is mounted on the supporting frame 1a and fixed thereto by fasteners 13. The driving shaft 8 projects into the interior of the 3 case 12 through an opening 14 formed in the side plate 12c, so that a tool attached to the driving shaft will be enclosed in the case 12.

Numeral 15 denotes a supporting base which is used in the operation of cutting the gem from the original stone, but is removed in the other operations. The base 15 comprises a horizontal plate 15a and a vertical plate 15b, as best seen in FIG. 9. The supporting base 15 is inserted into the case 12, and one end of the horizontal plate 15a is engaged with a support mount 16-, by passage of a projecting rim 16a on mount 16 into a groove opening 150 in the plate 15a. The vertical plate 15b is secured to case 12 by insertion of a projecting screw 15g thereon into a slit 17 in the case 12 and screwing a butterfly nut 18 on screw 15g. The horizontal plate 15a has a slit 15d therein for the upward projecting of a part of a cutting wheel therethrough. A splash protecting member 15e is secured to plate 15a at one end of slit 15d-and a water receiving member 15, made of a watercontaining material, such as a fiber aggregate or a sponge, straddles slit 15d near its other end.

Numeral 19 denotes a water tank, and a tubular member 19a integral therewith is detachably attached to a supporting rod 20 and is fixed thereto by a screw 19b. A supporting tube 21 comprising two pipe members 21a and 21b connected together at right angles is attached to the outer surface of the back plate 12f of the case 12, and the supporting rod 20 is inserted into either of members 21a or 21b and is fixed thereto by a screw 21c. The supporting tube 21 is positioned on case 12 so that the water tank can be connected to the case 12 and be upright and at a higher level than the base frame when the latter is supported on either of supporting portions A or B.

The side plate 12e of the case 12 has near the lower edge thereof a drainage hole 121. A drainage pipe 22 has one end connected to side plate 12s at hole 12i and is detachably engaged at its opposite end in a hook mem ber 23 on the outer surface of the back plate 12 Numeral 24 denotes a switch for the electric motor 5 and numeral 25 denotes a protecting cover for the power transmission.

The operation and use of the machine will now be explained in detail.

For the operation where a gem stone is to be cut from a raw stone, the base frame 1 is supported on supporting portion A, as shown in FIGS. l-3, so that the driving shaft 8 is in a generally horizontal position. A

cutting wheel a, is attached to the driving shaft 8 and is vertically disposed In this mode of operation, the supporting base 15 is attached to the covering case 12, and

a water supply tube 190 of the water tank 19 is introduced into the case 12 through an insertion opening .chips and water. The raw stone is supported on the supporting base 15 and is pushed against the wheel a so that the stone may be cut to its desired shape to obtain a cut stone. Water deposited on the base plate 12d is drained through the drainage tube 22.

For the next operation, wherein the cut stone is ground to desired shape, the supporting base 15 and, if necessary,

the covering plate 12g at the side of the case 12 is removed and a grinding wheel a replaces the cutting wheel (1 at the end of the driving shaft 8. The grinding wheel 0 is vertically disposed and the cut stone is pushed thereagainst for being ground.

For the next operation, wherein the surface of the stone is polished, the base frame 1 is turned 90 to be supported by the portion B, as shown in FIG. 5, to position the driving shaft 8 vertical. A polishing wheel (1 is attached to shaft 8 and is horizontally positioned so that its upper flat end surface may be used. In this case, the supporting rod 20 is attached to the pipe member 21b and the water tank 19 carried upright at a level above the frame. The water supply tube 190 is positioned to face the polishing wheel a and supply it with water. The water falls to the side plate 12e and is withdrawn via hole 12i. In order to prevent water leakage through the shaft opening 14, it is desirable that a projecting sleeve 14a be formed at the periphery of the hole 14.

It is convenient in practice for the polishing operation to be carried out by usin the horizontal upper surface of the polishing wheel a rotating in a horizontal plane, but this operation, of course, can be carried out with the wheel a vertically disposed by utilizing the periphery thereof. Similarly, the grinding operation may be effected by a horizontal disposition of the grinding wheel a The selection thereof is at the will of the operator and the machine is applicable for both cases.

According to the present invention, as described above, the base frame having two different settings nearly at right angles one with another is used so that the driving shaft carried thereon is horizontal when one setting is used and is vertical when the other setting is used. Accordingly, a working tool attached to the driving shaft may be selectively driven in a vertical position or in a horizontal position, so that various operations such as cutting, grinding, polishing or the like can be effected at high efficiency with the tool in either position simply by turning the base frame Numerous modifications and variations of the disclosed invention will now become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention if defined by the attached claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus comprising a base frame including means defining first and second support surfaces adapted for supporting the base frame in respective perpendicular positions, drive means fixedly supported on said base frame and adapted for receiving a tool and driving the same in mutually perpendicular positions depending upon the position in which the base frame is supported, and casing means defining an enclosure for surrounding a tool mounted on said drive means, the latter means having an opening for permitting the introduction into the enclosure of a workpiece to be operated on by the tool.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means of the base frame comprises a support member having legs arranged in L shape and respectively defining said first and second support surfaces.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising water supply means, including a water tank, for supplying cooling water to the enclosure, and means on said casing means for detachably supporting the water tank thereon in respective perpendicular positions to enable the water tank to be upright in both positions of the base frame, the latter means being located on the base frame such that the water tank in both positions thereof is at a higher level than the base frame.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said drive means comprises a drive shaft, motor means mounted on the frame and coupled to said drive shaft for driving the latter, said casing means being provided with an opening for the passage of the drive shaft into said enclosure.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said casing means comprises a box-like member with a bottom plate, a top plate, an end plate and a pair of side plates, said opening being partially formed opposite said end plate and partially in a portion of one of the side plates and in the top plate, the latter side plate including a detachable portion, the apparatus further comprising support means detacha'bly connectable to the casing means for receiving a tool mounted on the drive shaft and providing a support- 5 ing function for a workpiece to be operated on by the tool.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said water supply means comprises a hose connected to the water tank for the conveyance of water, said top plate having an opening for receiving the hose to position the same whereby a water receiving member on the support means can receive water from the hose.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the other of the side plates is provided with a drain hole positioned for the outflow of water from the enclosure for both positions of the base frame.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said support member is constituted by a continuous metal tubular member defining a rectangular form and bent at its center to define said L-shape.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,248,953 7/1941 Bunch 51--166 X 2,619,135 11/1952 Callaway 51-1666 3,008,462 11/ 1961 Williams 12513 3,135,071 6/1964 Godar 51166 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 5l-166 

